Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-04
are quite out of date. Plaid velyets are
also in favor for trimming plain wool
The Household.

The Household.
/ DEAR KATE-A promise given shouId
be promise kept, but before the giving
! it should he well considered. There was
a little ruffling of the feathers in the dove
cote over the last letter. sort of protest
against an exhibition of our home secrets,
but an exercise of wifely tact-in paren-
thesis, this Is an important wheel in the
m2ChiGery-has convinced Theo that a
little self-sacrifce for the general good is
Commendable. "PrO bono pu0lico' is
what I said, and this having an orstOrical
smack was convincing argument. You
know men are born politicians, aad pol
itics is what interests them in the morn
ing paper: by the way, how do you sup
pose Theo happened on the Ladies
Column? This headline IS intended as q
warning beacon; it may be that men and
women are both human, and Eve was not
alone In her desire TO pry into forbidden
things.
Inc first light cloud that swept over
our marital horizon came from the dining
room, and eliminated in slight shower
behind the coffee-urn. Estheticism wss
my ruling passion, but however faultless
compensation TO hungry man for the
lack of wholesome food, and l think
headaches on the wife's part would have
been arrested had the substantial pre-
vailed over the beautiful. The new cook
reigned, and her awe-inspiring presence
was too much for my tlmid ignorance.
Proverbiaily mind ruled over matter, but
| was not mistress-that was evident. A
questioning ON the part of the master as
TO the amount of provisions needed in so
small family as ours brought about q
violent rupture, and to me was left the
responsibility of cleaning and the prepa-
ration OF the dinner. To say II
Was not pre-emlnently successful does
not express it. Theo smiled encour-
agingly, but l always suspected that he
fortified his inner man by eating else
where. while well you know what
woman generally does under such circum-
stances. Not to weary your patience
with my experiences in the servant line,
some ludicrVus and some even pathetic, 1t
resulted finally in q selt-educatiOn in that
best OF cooking schools, the home kitchen,
where, by the aid of an attendant, Top
sey, | wrought out the problem 20 q sat-
isfactOry conclusion. AS the cares null
tiplied, demands upon time in other de
partments did not cause delegation of
authority, but | remain head. In all
modesty would say that the solution OF
the problem of servant girlism is, that
the mistress maintain her supremacy,
which can be done by first acqusintilg
herself practically with the details of
housekeeping, and resisting aggressions
quietly and firmly. There can be no rea-
son in this relationship more than in any
other for the dictatior of the employed
TO the employer, neither is it
magnifying mine office to say
that no woman who assumes the re-
sponsibilities belonging to wife can by
an course Of reasoning on her part JUS
tify want Of knowledge or inattention
to the duties involved. Bridget and Di-
nah are stronger physically than l am,
but the higher intellect must not be en-
shaved, and through no fault of ignor-
ance or inertia siali they fail to recog-
nize me as head of the executive depart
ment. Thanks to fashion, the days OF
fine ladyism are past, women have the
good sense to cultivate their physical de-
velopment, and the rosy cheek and elias
tic step betoken an advance in the intel
lectusl which result in the reign of COM
mon sense. That you or | will tae this
problem worked out satisfactorily Is not
probable, but each in our private splreSe
can do much. When mutual forbearSA
ance, mutual concession, less of AFRO
gaDce on both sides, and more nf the
spirit of truthfulness obtains, then, and
not before, will Utopia be in our midst.
Has my letter developed into lecture?
and are you saying how wise she deems
herself? Stop your seuctness; this is the
voice of experience, not mine The step
of the husband is on the walk; Just sly
peep in the glass to see if all is right, and
l go to meet him. He likes it, No Not
married long enough to neglect these lit
tie things. Our tea table stands ready,
and while have "prrfect treasure" in
the kitchen, still go to see that all is
right for the master. l will incl rse q few
tried recipes for your cookbook, which,
from the tenor of your last letter, sup
pose you are busily filing
YOUR FRIEND.